Clamp having a swiveled traction connection



P 2, 1952 w. KIILLIUSI 2,608,730

CLAMP HAVING A SWIVELED TRACTION CONNECTION Filed Aug. 21, 1948 4rroRA/EV Patented Sept. 2, 1 952 nsvmon swlva'trln 'TR'AGTIGN V eon-monoun- Q h vvifii kil'iiiiehu uen Calii'.

llifpli'ation ctst ai. 1948, SerialNo.45.i 4li This invention relates to a swiveled traction connection. 1

One pf the-drawbacks relating to tools heretofore used gfor correcting the upper-zportions of deformed automobile doorsresides in the faetthat ,th'eahydrauliczjack, the only tool *now available-for this class Of WOTkLfhaS the extremities of-its thrusting members formed in the angular opposite corner portions of the-window portionof the ;'door-. For example -if the glass portion of the door partly protrudes from its pocket into the window'space, and the door is damaged in an'accident whereby its window portion is drawn out of alin'ement so that the housed plate of=glass cannot be elevated or depressed, it would then beimpossible so to mount a'conver'rtional jack so that, without-breaking the glass,

clamp having a such is; dackcould-be used-:to restore the doorto *its normal contour.

Accordingly, it is an objectot this invention toeprovide means whereby the'flanged'portion of the door lnaybe gripped with abite utilizing all the grippin'g portion or -'a clamp; and the hydraulic Jack, whenoperatively related to, clamp units grips opposite edge {portions of the door outside the plane the glass would occupy if in the raised position. so that said jack may be operated to correct the door panel frame in such a manher that the glass may-thereafter be elevated without being broken. I

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Other objects 'of this invention ai ek fto tibvide a clamp structure which can b used, in doaiunction with a hydraulic- Hack to correct deformed automobile doors without marring their portions} to provide an improved universal Joint connection between the jaws of the door clamps and the rods or arms 'ofahydrauli'c jack used; to exert a corrective force upon the dis door; "and to provide so simple andpasily adjusted a -clamp structure for the above stated plfi' poses that it will .be an important time saver m the "operations of mechanically correcting de formed plates, doors and the like. The time saved by this invention over present day methods and equipment by the use of this invention in some recorded instances has amounted to as much as 400%.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred, reduced to practice embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device. In this view a fragment of a hydraulic jack is shown in dotted lines operatively related to one of the handle or link portions of the device.

Also "a fragment of a door is thereto.

ing indicated by line ;2--;2 on Fig. 1. In tl'ris view the jack is omitted;

Fig. '3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with the jack-removed.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on'line 4 4 of Fig. 3, except that-partsare shown elevation.

Fi'g'. 5-i's aside 'elevation showing a fragment of a door-frame being operated upon bymeansr-of mechanism of which the device forms apart.

Referring in detail tofthe drawing, the clamp structure is therein shown operativ'ely related to the rim portion 5 ofa door 6. Said clamp structure comprises two elongated, rectangular.

jaw plates (and 8, the former being stationary and the latter movable. saidplates 'a-1'e-. re-=v spectively provided with sets of ratchet .ty'pe gripping teeth 1a and 8a,, these sets of teethbe ing located at one end of the device'in a cooperae tive relation "to each other.

Nearer to its toothed end than to itsgopp'osite end each of saidiplates is laterally bored through at its -midwidth, and through the alined passages thus provided "extends a headed clamping bolt Shaving screwed upon it a clamping nut H). Thebore through the clamping plate I has, adia metrically enlarged inner end portion II -and the other bore has a corresponding diametrical enlargement l2, thusproviding space for "the end portions of a compression "spring [3 looselycoiled around the bolt 9, said 'springtendingzito hold the jaw "plates in a 's'paced' ap'art relatiin to'each other, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4;;

Near theend for the device which is oppdsite to {its toothed portion thejaw 1 has 'thrbugh it;

at' its lil-idwidth, "a sciewtliread 'ed bore Pi inwhi'c'h is screwed an adjusting fulcrum 'screw'=- I6 having a conically tapered, pointed inner end I! which centrally engages a semicircular seat [8 in the adjacent end portion of the movable jaw 8.

A handle plate 20 has its inner face superimposed upon a jaw plate 8 and loosely surrounds a diametrically enlarged part 2| of bolt 9 subjacent to its polygonal head 22, being thus freely swiveled to said bolt. One side of said swiveled plate has an outwardly curled edge portion 23 projecting from the outer face of the plate, through which loosely passes the straight side of a semicircular ring 24 manually operable to I shown in has lines to illustrate the'applica'tion of the clamps a "x 3 adjust the swiveled plate 20 to the desired angle in relation to the long axis of the device.

In order positively to hold the bolt 9 against turning when the nut is tightened a key pin 25 is provided to prevent relative rotation between said bolt and the adjustable jaw plate 8. In assembling the device the inner end portion of said key pin is inserted within a small hole therefor drilled into the outer face of the plate 8 close to the bore therethrough that receives the bolt 9. Then the bolt 9, provided in its diametrically enlarged part 21 with a small drilled hole 4 plate 8 is outwardly offset a material distance from the plane occupied by the gripping teeth la and 8a, so that there is a clearance between the back face of the door and the applied push rods which prevents the latter from marring the face of the rim portion of the door.

By the term traction" as hereinbefore used is meant any force upon the links 2 tending to move them farther apart, whether it. be-a push or pull force;

Although only one specific piece of work has 5 been shown being operated upon, it is obvious 25a to receive the outer end portion of said pin 7 25, is inserted after bringing the latter drilled hole into alinement with said pin.

In Fig. 5 the device is shown in the position it occupies after being utilized to restore; a deformed automobile door to its normal contour.

In this view two of the clamps appear, said clamps being shown applied to diametrically opposite corner portions of the part of a door rim 5 which was deformed. The dotted lines 5a show the contour of the deformed door rim. In this view a conventional hydraulic expander 38 is shown carryingopposed twin push rods 3!, each of said ,rods having a forked outer end portion 32 (see Fig. l) engaged with the ring or link 24 at its side of the structure. This arrangement avoids danger of breaking the glass 33.v

It is to be observed that, in applying the. device to the rectangular corner portions of theldoors, or to the corner portions of other plate-like structures, the two jaws of the device should be directed at a right angle to the edge portion of the object to which they are. applied, this being necessary in order to utilize them to grip a larger area than they would grip ii arranged with their lengths alining with the aforesaid rods 3 l Hence when two of the clamping devices are thus applied to diagonally opposite corner portions of a deformed door or plate and a push mechanism bridges the space between them, the presence of the swivel plates and of their swingable handles 24 is required in order to make proper operative connections between said mechanism and the two clamping devices. It is mainly in the particular just pointed out that the present invention makes an advanced step in' the art to which it pertains. This will be better understood when it is noted that, if

the clamps were arranged with their long axes in alinernent with the push rods, only a part of their toothed areas would grip the door, rendering the foothold of each clamp insecure; or else their small footholdsupon the door would overstrain the gripped metal.

, The device is particularly well adapted used in conjunction with a hydraulic jack like the jack provided with push rods 3! as shown in Fig. 5, one reason for its suitability for this,

kind of work residing in the fact that the pivotal connections of the links is with the turnable to be effect swivel connection of thethird plate'onthe bolt, a ring attached to one end of-the swivel that manyother distorted structures may be restored to normal contour by applying the inventionto them.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is fors the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed I claim:

In a device for engaging the end of'a recti--- linearly extensible straightening tool, a pair of complementary plates having opposed plane gripping surf acesat one end and having aligned bores about said bolt to yieldingly urge the plates apart,

a third plate seated flat against the outer face of one of said complementary plates and having an opening through which said bolt passes to plate and disposed toswing pivotally' thereon in a plane perpendicular to the plane of saidplate, one of said complementary plates having a threaded bore adjacent the end opposite the bolt.

a screw engaging said threaded bore and manually operative to cause its inner end to contact the opposite complementary'plate fortilting the latter plate about the bolt, and teeth inwardly directed toward said aligned bores formed on said opposed gripping surfacesof the complementary plates- REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of-reoord in the file of this patent: 1 NITED STATES PATENTS .WILLIAM KILLIUS.

- Date 1 

